Sheet feeder



April 18, 1939. F. R. BELLUC'HE 2,154,485

SHEET FEEDER Fi`led Oct. 28, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet l Fn-727k REM/wha April 18, 1939- F. R. BELLUCHE 2,154,485

SHEET FEEDER Fled Oct. 28, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 8 mum April 18, 1939- F. R. BELLUCHE 2,154,485

SHEET FEEDER Filed Oct. 28, 1957 3 Sheets--SheenI 3 ....Mmn I mm f8 y EL "5V ln "mm1" im Patented Apr. 18, 1939 UNITED STATES 2,154,485 snEE'r FEEDER Frank lt. Belluche, Racine, Wis.

Application October 28,

21 Claims.

This invention, relates to sheet feeders for printing machines and the like.

'I'he constant demand for lhigher operating speeds in printing machinery has imposed stringent requirements upon sheet feeders. .'Ihis is readily apparent from the fact that it is not unusual now to require a speed of ve .thousand sheets per` hour, even with excessively large sheets.

sheet feeders met thev same limiting obstacle which was time for registration. y f With underlapped feeding of the sheets wherein the sheets are advanced to the press in underlapped relationship, time for side registering ,the

sheet was exceptionally short and as proper sider registry required a certain time interval regard-l less of how it was done, this fact definitely limited the amount which the sheets could be overlapped and thus precluded deriving the full benets of underlapped feeding. v

This invention is directed to .a correction of these inherent objections to past sheet feeder constructions and has as one of its objects to provide an improved manner of squaring the sheet and also'side registering the same so that these two necessary functions can be accomplished while the sheet, is in motion, thus obviating theheretofore necessary stopping of the sheet.

More particularly it is an object of this invention to provide means operable on. the rear or trailing edge of the sheet as it approaches the press or other machine being fed to square the same and positively move the same to its exact registering position in time to be picked up by ,the grippers of the press or other machine being fed. This permits the front guide of the press to be entirely eliminated so that the advance of the sheets does not have-to be interrupted at any point, and where from the nature of the work, it is desirable to utilize or retain the front guides, the present invention permits the sheet t'o be presented thereto in such a manner as to entirely 1937, Serial No. 171,507

.eliminate the possibility of rebound, crumpling of the leading edge, or any other form of improper presentment. f I

A further object of this invention is to provide gripper means adapted to engage the trailing edge of the topmost of a plurality of underlapped` sheets moving toward a nnal registering position and to so move or actuate the gripper means as to have a differential forward motion which is initially fast to insure proper engagement of the gripper means with the sheet, and then slow to bring the sheet to its final 'registering position at a speed considerably slower than that of the conveying means which advances the sheets in underlapped relation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a construction of the character described wherein the closure of the gripper jaws is controlled by a cam driven from the motion of the gripper mechanism itself so that the timing o! the closure of the gripper jaws is at all times synchronized with the motion of the gripper mechanism.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it' being understood that such changes in the precise'embodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one complete example of the physical embodiment y of the invention constructed according to the best mode so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

t Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a sheet feeder illustrating the application of this invention thereto; l

Figure 2 is ariy enlarged sectional view similar to Figure 1, but showing only the gripper mechanism and its directly associated elements;

Figure -3 is a side view of the gripper mechanism, and illustrating particularly the manner in whichlts various 'motions are produced;

Figure 4 is a top' plan view of the gripper mechanism and its.associated elements; and

.Figure 5 is a cross sectional view through -Figure 3 on the plane'of. the line 5 5.

vReferring now particularly tothe accompanying drawings in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, the numerali designates a conveyor of anysuitable construction, arranged to advance sheets S in underlapped relation toward a predetermined nal registering position with respect toa printing press or other printing machine to be fed. In`the present instance, the conveyor is shown as presenting the sheets toward th'e initial transfer cylinder Gof a press (not shown) equipped with the customary front guide L The sheets are separated from a source and deposited onto the conveyor 5 in any suitable manner, and the conveyor is driven to continuously move the underlapped sheets toward the press. Asthe sheets approach the final registering position, the topmost sheet which is the one nearest the press, has its trailing edge engaged by a reciprocating gripper mechanism, indicated generally by the numeral 8, by which the sheet is squared, side registered, and positively advanced to its final registering position independently of the conveyor 5.

` The gripper mechanism 8 comprises a plurality of thin edged lower fingers 9 adapted to be moved forwardly against and under the trailing edge of the topmost sheet to lift the same onto their upper surfaces Where it is held by gripper jaws VIII. All of the lower fingers 9 are journalledon a transverse shaft I I, the ends of which are supported in end frames I2 and I2. To accommodate sheets of different widths the lower fingers 9 are adjustable on their supporting shaftA IIy being held in adjusted positions by U-shaped yokes I3 embracing the fingers 9 and adjustably secured to the shaft II by set screws.

Each finger 9 has a rearwardly extending lug I4 which is engageable with theundersurface -of its yoke I3 to limit the downward motion of the finger 9 while permitting upward motion thereof. This vertical freedom of the fingers 9 is desirable to permit independency of the respective fingers and insure thev engagement of their thin front ends under the trailing edges of the sheets.

The gripper jaws I0 are all mounted on a transverse shaft I5 journalled in bearings carried by the end frames I2 and I2 and disposed substantially directly above the shaft II. While the gripper jaws IIJ are permitted a degree of rotation with respect to the shaft I5, this per- A' mitted motion is limited by keys I6 adjiustably fitted inan elongated keyway in the shaft and engaging in` circumferentially enlarged keyways I'I in the gripper jaws. Any suitable means may be employed to hold the gripper jaws I0 against longitudinaimotion along their supporting shaft I5, and in the fpresent instance, collars IIJ' are detachably secured to the shaft I5 at opposite sides of the gripper jaws. y

The permittedy relative'rotation between the gripper jaws I 0 and their supporting shaft I5 allows each gripper jaw to be individually yieldingly urged toward fits cooperating nger 9 by a compression spring I8 confined between the adjacent yoke I3 and a lug I9 extending rearwardly from the gripper jaw. This permitted relative rotation between the gripper jaws and their supporting shaft l I5, however, is only sufto an open position shown in. dotted lines in Figure 2.

The outer \nds' of the gripper jaws I0 carry `rollers 20, the peripheral surfaces of which are coated with a suitable substance having -a high 1 coefficient of friction, or the entire roller may bedcomposed of rubber vor some similar material.

This provides'a frictional engagement between the gripper jaws I0 and the top surface of the sheet.

The lower fingers 9 are all notched or recessed clude having the sheet catch on the edge of the bar, it has its forward edge slightly beveled. Endwise motion of the bar` 2| with a sheet clamped thereagainst by the friction rollers of the jaws I0 draws the sheet sidewise to side register the same. This endwise motion` of the bar 2I is obtained in a manner to be hereinafter described.

The necessary stop against which the side edge of the sheets is brought to bear during the side registering thereof, is provided by a side wall 22 on the lower nger 9', which is nearest the end frame I2 and toward which the side registering 'motion of the bar 2| is made. This wall projects perpendicularly up from the top surface of the finger 9 and the bar 2| moves through a hole therein. I

For squaring the sheet, .the fingers 9 have aligned shoulders or registering faces 23 to engage the rear or trailing edge of the sheet. To insure proper engagement of the squaringshoulders or registering faces 23 with the trailing edge of the topmost sheet, the initial forward motion of the grippers is faster than the linear speed of the conveyor 5.

After the clamping of the sheetby the gripper jaws IIJ so that the sheet is positively held by the gripping mechanism, its advance is at a slower speed with its final forward motion at a speed considerably less than that of the conveyor 5, so that the actual presentment of 'the sheets to the final registering position is slow.

Reciprocation of the gripper mechanism is produced by a. box cam 24 xed to a cam shaft 25 which is driven from a longitudinal shaft 26 deriving its power from 'the mechanism of the feeder (not shown). The driving connection between the shafts 25 and 26 is effected through meshing miter gears 21 and 28, the gear 28 being slidably splined to the shaft 26 to permit longitudinal'adjustment of the entire gripper mechanism.

Tracking in the box cam 24 is a cam follower 29 which is carried o n the lower end of a lever 30,

Vsecured to a shaft 3l which is journalled in side compensate for sheets of different lengths is obtained. Such adjustment of the side frames is facilitated by pinions 36 meshing 'with the teeth of the rack bars vand flxed to a transverse shaft 31 carried by the side frames 32 and 33.

An upwardly extending lever 38 fixed to the shaft 3l is connected to the side frame 'I2' of the gripper mechanism througha link 38 and the other side frame I2 of the gripper mechanism is connected through a link 39 with the upper end yof a lever 48 also xed to the shaft 3|. From this it will be seen that oscillation imparted to the shaft 3| by the box cam 24 rocks the/levers 30 and 4I) to smoothly reciprocate the entire gripper mechanism.

The gripper mechanism is supported for recip Y rocation by having its end frames I2 and I2 slidably supported on arms 42 and 43 secured at fio wardly of the side frame 33. The fr ee end of this' lever carries a cam follower 46 which tracks on a cam 41 xed to the cam shaft 25. The shape ofthe cam 41 is such that' it holds the arms 42 and 43 parallel with the top of the conveyor 5 for a period of time long enough to encompass the full forward stroke ofthe gripper mechanism and to lift the arms at the limit of the forward stroke so as to raise the gripping mechanism oiI the top of the sheets and hold the same in such raised position until the retraction of the gripping mechanism has been completed.

As noted hereinbefore, the gripping jaws I are raised or opened by oscillation of their supporting shaft I5. Such motion is imparted to the shaft I by a cam 48 fixed to a stub shaft 49 journalled.

in the end frame I2'. Riding on the cam. 48 is a cam follower 50 carried on the outer end of a lever 5I which is keyed to the shaft I5. The throw of the cam 48 is4 such that the required oscillation is imparted to the shaft I5 to rock the same sufficiently to lift the. gripper jaws I0 off their respective fingers 9.

'Ihe motion of the cam 48 is derived from the reciprocation of the gripper mechanism on its supporting arms 42 and 43, through a pinion 52 fixed to the shaft 49 and meshing with a rack 53 cut along the bottom of the arm 43. 'I'he pitch diameter of the pinion 52 with relation to the shape yof the cam 48 and the stroke of the gripper mechanism is such that the gripper jaws I0 are held in their elevated or open positio'ns throughout the entire return stroke of the gripper mechanism, and also during the initial forward motion of the gripper mechanism to permit engagement of the gripper fingers 9 with the trailing edge of the topmost sheet into full contact with the registering faces or shoulders 23.

After suchA squaring engagement between the shoulders orfaces 23 with the trailing edge of the sheet, the

- cam 48 allows the gripper jaws III to be closed down onto the sheet.

'I'he shape of the box cam 24 is such that the initial forward motion of thev gripper mechanism is faster than'the linear speed of the conveyor 5 to effect the proper engagement of Ithe gripper mechanism with the trailing edge of the topmost sheet and'isincreasigly slower toward the end of its forward stroke so as to present the sheet to its final registering position at very slow speed. The retraction of the gripper mechanism by the box cam 24 is preferably rapid.

Endwise motion of the bar v2| to eifect side registry of the sheet is also derived from the reciprocation of the gripper mechanism' through Athe medium of 'a barrel cam 55 xed to the shaft 449. Engaging in the groove 33' of the barrel cam l toward the end frame i2' to draw the sheet into engagement with the registry face formed by the inner surface of 'the wall 22. At the limit of the forward stroke, of fthe gripper mechanismthe barrel cam rotating in the opposite direction returns thebar 2| to its initialposition.

While the embodiment illustrated discloses the presentment of the sheets to the front guide of a press, it will be readily apparent that Iinasmuch as the sheet is under positive control at the time of its arrival at this position, and as it has been completely registered, the front guide may be entirely omitted so that the forward advance of the sheets may be continuous and uninterrupted.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will.

be readily apparent to. those skilled in the art to whichthis invention appertains, that this invention makes possible higher operating speeds without sacrificing accuracy of registration as it allows a comparatively long period of time to be devoted to the registration of the sheet, and that the invention has the further advantage of allowing for a greater overlap of the sheets which permits a slower sheet advance.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a sheet feeder for printing machines and the like, the combination of: conveying means for advancingsheets along a defined path for presentment to the machine; and means movable' along said same path in the direction of the sheet advance and ata speed slightly in excess of that of the sheet advance for engaging the trailing edge of the sheet nearest the machine and oper.- able to present the sheet to the machine and ef'- fect registration thereof prior to its presentment to the machine.

2. In a sheet feeder: conveying means for conveying sheets in underlapped .relationship towardv a' registering position; gripper means engageable with the trailing edge of the sheet nearest said registering position, said gripper means having registering faces engageable with the rear edge of the sheet to square the sheet; and means for actuating said gripper means to impart first a fast motion in the direction of sheet advance and in excess of the speed of the sheet to insure engagement of its registering faces with the rear edge of the sheet, and then a retarded motion slower than the speed of the conveying means so as to present the sheet to its registering position at slow speed.

3. In a sheet feeder: conveying means for advancing sheets in underlapped relationship toward a registering position; and movable means to grip the trailing edges of the sheets as they approach the registering position to control the final advance of the sheets to said registering position; and means carried by said movable means for acting on the sheets to square and side register the same while they are in motion toward said registering position.

4. In a sheet feeder: conveying means for ad vancing sheets toward a final registering position; movable sheet gripping' means adapted to engage and grip the trailing'edge of a sheet nearest said registering position to carry the sheets to said ilnal registering position independently of the conveying means; squai'ing shoulders on the gripping means engageable with the trailing edge of the sheet when the gripping means is fully engaged with the sheet; and actuating means for said gripper means operable to move the same in the direction of sheet advance at a speed greater than that of the sheets to eiect engagement of the gripper means with the trailing edge of a sheet to square the same.

5. In a sheet feeder: conveying means for advancing sheets toward a predetermined position;

movable gripper means engageable .with the trailing edge of a sheet nearest said position,

said gripper mdeans positively holding the sheet against any motion thereof., by said conveying means; and means for actuating the gripper meansvto present the sheet rheld thereby to said predetermined position independently of said conveying means and at a linear speed less than that of said conveying means.

6. In a sheet feeder: conveying means for advancing sheets in underlapped relationship to,

ward a predetermined position; a reciprocating gripper fmeans movable above the sheets on said conveying means and engageable with the trailing edge of the topmost sheet, said gripper means having registry faces to engage the trailing edge of the sheet and having means to securely grip the sheet and hold it against motion by said conveying means; and means for actuating said gripper meansto have first a forward motion at a'speed in excess of that of the conveying means to insure engagement of its registry faces with .the trailing edge of a sheet, and then' a slower forward motion so as to present the sheet to said predetermined position at`a speed less than that of the conveying means.

7. In a sheet feeder: conveying means for advancing sheets in underlapped relationship toward a predetermined position; a reciprocating gripper means movable above the sheets on said conveying means and engageable with the trailingedge of the topmost sheet, said gripper means having registry faces to engage the trailing edge of the sheet and having means to securely grip the sheet and hold it against motion by said conveying means; means for actuating said gripper vmeans to have first a forward motion at a speed that the sheet is gripped directly after engage-V ment of the registry faces therewith.

8. In a sheet feeder: conveying means for advancing sheets in underlapped relationship toward a predetermined position; reciprocating gripper means disposed above said conveying means and engageable with the trailing edge of vthe topmost sheet; meansv for reciprocating said K gripper means with a successive fast and -slow forward motion in the direction of sheet advance and a rapid return motion; and means for lowering the gripper means onto the sheets at the limit of its return stroke and for lifting the gripper means after it has engaged the `trailing edge of the topmost sheet and advanced the same to said predetermined position.

9. Iri a sheet feeder: conveying-means for advancing sheets in underlapped relation toward a predetermined position; gripper means having cooperating jaws to clamp a sheet therebetween; means for reciprocating the gripper means above the conveying means in proximity to the trailing edge of the topmost sheet; means for raising and lowering the gripper means as it reciprocates to cause the same to engage thetrailing edge of the topmost sheet; and means for controlling the closure" of the jaws of said gripper means so -as'to hold the same open until proper engagethe sheet nearest said predetermined position by moving fast enough to overtake said trailingledge oi' the sheet, said reciprocating means having registering faces to bear against the trailing edge of the sheet to square the same; and means carried by said reciprocating means for side registering the sheet as it is. moved by the reciprocating means toward said predetermined position.

l1. In va sheet feeder: conveying means for advancing sheets toward a predetermined position; a reciprocating gripper mechanism disposed above said conveying means and having a forward motion in the direction of sheet advance to be engageable with the trailing edge of a sheet nearest said predetermined position, said gripper mechanism having a differential forward speed to move quickly at a speed` in excess of that of the conveying means into engagement with the rear edge of a sheet and then complete its forward motion at a speed slower than that of the conveying means; means for controlling the gripping action of said gripper mechanism to insure proper engagement of the sheet therewith prior to positive gripping of the sheet; and means for effecting side register of the sheet while it is in the grip of said gripper mechanism.

12. In a sheet feeder: conveying means for advancing'sheets toward a predetermined position; reciprocating gripper means disposed above said conveying means and having a forward stroke in the direction the sheet is advanced by the conveying means, said gripper meansrhaving a registering face and jaws to clamp a sheet therebetween;VA cam means for reciprocating the gripper means with a variable forward speed which is initially faster than the speed of the conveying means so that the gripper means overtakes the trailing edge of `the sheet nearest said predetermined position and then slower than the speed ofthe conveying means; and means for controlling the clamping jaws of the gripper means to hold the same open during the initial forward motion of the gripper means and until engagement of its registering face with the trailing edge of the sheet nearest said predetermined position and to maintain engagement `of the clamping jaws with the sheet for the remainder of the forward advance of the gripper means so that the sheet is presented to said predetermined position by the gripper meansv at a speed slower than that of the conveying means.

` 13. In a sheet feeder: conveying means for advancing sheets in underlapped relationship toward a predetermined registering position; means engageable under the trailing edge of the topward a predetermined registering position; gripper neans above the conveying mea said grip. per means havingregistering fac means for actuating said gripper means to impart a reciprocating motion thereto and to engage the same with the trailing edge of the topmost sheet so that its registeringfaces abut the trailing edge of the sheet to square the same; and side registering mechanism movable with thev gripper means and operable on the' sheet to side register the same while `it is in motiontoward said predetermined registering position.

15'. In a sheet feeder: conveying means for advancing sheets in underlapped relationship to a predetermined registering position; a plurality of grippers having registering faces and disposed.

registering faces with the trailing edge of a sheet prior to gripping the same. y

16. In a sheet feeder: conveying means for advancing sheets in underlapped relationship to a predetermined registering position; a plurality of grippers having registering faces and disposed above said conveying means to be engageable with the trailing edge of the topmost sheet; means for reciprocating the plurality of grippers in unison to advance a sheet engaged thereby to said predetermined registering Aposition independently of the conveying means; means for lowering the grippers in unison into operative relationship with the trailing edge of the topmost sheet and to lift the gripper off the sheets; means for controlling the gripping action of said grippers; to insure the engagement of their registering fa`ces with the trailing edge of a sheet prior to gripping the same, and side registering means operable upon the sheet being carried by the grippers for eiecting side register thereof while it is in motion toward said predetermined registering position.

17. In a sheet feeder: a reciprocating gripper mechanism to grip a sheet and move it; means for side registering the sheet while it is being moved by the gripper mechanism; and means positively driven from the motion of the gripper mechanism for actuating the side registering means.

18. In a sheet feeder: a'reciprocating gripper mechanism to grip a sheet and move it; means for side registering the sheet while it is being moved by the gripper mechanism including a member movable sidewise with respect to the sheet and adapted' to.\c`ause sidewise motion of the sheet; and motion producing means positively driven by the e mechanism for actuating said member.

19. In a sheet feeder: a reciprocating gripper mechanism to grip a sheet and move it; means for side registering the sheet while it is being moved by the gripper mechanism including a member movable sidewise with respect to the sheet and adapted to cause sidewise motion of the sheet; a cam for actuating said member; a gear for driving the cam, said gear being carried by the gripper mechanism to move therewith; and a rack meshing with the gear and along which the gripper mechanism moves so that reciprocation of the gripper mechanism drives said cam.

20. In a sheet feeder: a reciprocable gripper;

eciprocation of the gripper means for reciprocating the gripper to engage the same with a sheet; said gripper having a movable jaw; cam means for controlling said movable jaw and determining the time of closure of the gripper; and means deriving motion from thereciprocation of the gripper mechanism for actuating said cam means. l

21. In a sheet feeder: conveying means for advancing sheets along a defined path; means movable along said same path at a speed slightly in excess of that of the; sheet advance so as to overtake the trailing edges of the sheets; and

means carried'by said last named means for Y gripping and registering the sheets during advance of the sheets subsequent to the engagement of said means with their trailing edges.

FRANK R. BELLUCHE. 

